Through the Looking Glass
by Winterswild
Summary: How Goku and Piccolo really became friends, and how Piccolo and Chi-chi almost did. An alternate take on the heart virus set during the Android saga. Non canon - can be considered AU. Re-written & complete.
1. Part One

**Through the Looking Glass**

AU elements.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z or any of its characters, or anything really.

Warning: Swearing & mentions of life in a mental health facility.

**Part One **

The sting of sweat in his eyes made Goku swing too soon and he cursed as he crashed into his sparring partner, who cursed in return at the impact. They tumbled to the ground, dust kicking and puffing everywhere and Goku laughed heartily at the Namek's scowl. He grunted and as he shoved the Saiyan away he wondered what Goku's stupid big grin was good for. He groaned as he stood, feeling every deep cut, scrape and bruise struggling to heal. The Saiyan was fiddling around, re tying his sash and brushing down his clothes. Piccolo's eye twitched and he crossed his arms.

"Your enemy not going to give you time for a wardrobe check"

Goku laughed, flashing his happy smile in reassurance, looking at Piccolo knowingly.

"You're _not _my enemy"

The Namek grimaced at the insinuation that they may, in fact, be the opposite. _Friends. _Goku could picture the tall man's stomach turning inside out in horror and he smirked, returning his attention to re-tying his sash.

"_Of course we're friends Son"_

Goku shot his head up at that, grinning.

"I knew you'd come round!"

Piccolo simply wrinkled his nose in confusion, tilting his head a little.

"What?"

"That we are friends!"

Piccolo said nothing.

"...you just said-"

He snarled as he cut off the dark haired happy bomb.

"Stop saying that! I am not your friend, I am your temporary ally. They're not the same thing"

Goku faltered, not sure if he'd offended the over sensitive Namek or if this was just another one of his many mood swings. He scratched the back of his head, with Piccolo in the house it was like he had a double dose of being married. He and poor Gohan didn't stand a chance. If Piccolo and Chi-chi weren't at each other's throat, they turned to the next available target. The tension of the upcoming battle with the androids took its toll on them all, he supposed. He didn't mention it to either Piccolo, or Chi-chi, but he was more concerned about the heart virus Trunks had warned them about. Androids he could fight, viruses? Not so much. His stomach started to hum as he mused and he looked over at the man who had not so long ago tried earnestly to kill him. His head started to hurt then, from hunger maybe.

Little did Goku know, Piccolo was actually considering a repeat performance. The Saiyan irritated him even more than a four year old Gohan had. This constant badgering for some kind of friendship was almost annoying enough that he thought about just leaving the planet. _Maybe I'll take Gohan. _His long ears could hear the rumblings of the Saiyan's stomach and he rolled his eyes. _For fuck's sake._

"Let's go." He growled out the words though he didn't feel quite as angry as he sounded and started to walk away. Goku wanted to follow but a bout of dizziness ground him to a halt.

"Wait"

Piccolo whirled around, cape following dramatically.

"What now?!"

Goku looked up at the surly Namekian with squinted eyes, he seemed confused. Piccolo calmed himself, nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath.

"Get a grip, Son"

Goku put one hand to the back of his head, his fingers scratching absently and he laughed nervously.

"Sorry, for a moment there I just felt a bit weird"

Piccolo said "idiot" under his breath and took off into flight, leaving Goku to literally choke on his dust. He stood still for a moment before leaping into the air as well. _Always with the temper, maybe he should have married Chi-chi._

His flight was unsteady at first. He didn't have much time to analyse why before he heard words whispered in his ear.

"_You're almost there"_

It was Piccolo's deep voice, unmistakably. But he could clearly see the Namek, a steady black dot in the distance, getting smaller as Goku slowed down. The voice again, this time, so close he could feel the other man's breath.

"_That's it"_

Goku felt the blood cool in his veins as he looked left and right and saw nothing. Piccolo was still a good distance away. He closed his eyes and breathed. _Focus._ He felt so heavy, so tired suddenly. He opened his eyes again but this time they went wide.

Piccolo's face was a couple of inches from his own, jade hands gripped on either cheek, holding him still. His own dark eyes started blinking and his breath came in halting gasps. He wasn't in the air anymore, or even outside, he was in a room and he vaguely realised that he was sitting on the ground. The smell of chemicals, the sounds of people talking and metal against metal, the cool of the hard floor under his hands, the feel of Piccolo's hands against his face. All of it assaulted him at once and he squeezed his eyes shut, closing it all out. _No. _

_No, no, no._

With eyes closed he could hear Piccolo's voice, it was insistent. Hints of kindness in the demanding tone.

"Open your eyes"

Something told Goku it was not okay, not okay at all. He opened his eyes wearily, dark dilated pupils looking into Piccolo's dark ruby red ones. _Have they always been red?_ He raised his hands up and grabbed pink and jade wrists, pulling them down. His voice was unusually quiet.

"What's going on?"

Piccolo leaned back on his knees, black trousers pulling tight. His black shirt was pulled against his broad chest and Goku could see a pen in his pocket. He wondered if Piccolo could even write. _Piccolo didn't go to school. _The comment felt childlike.The white coat looked bizarre on his broad shoulders looked bizarre.

Eyes narrowed, he asked again, this time his voice rattled with a rare anger.

"I asked what's going on!"

The other man bit his lip in thought and took a deep breath whilst he stood up, offering Goku a hand. It was ignored at first but the Saiyan quickly realised that he wasn't going to manage on his own. He cursed as he stumbled up onto the bed , quickly observing the room. It was small, one window had bars across it but he could easily get through the man made barricade. Dizziness made him shake his head and he grasped thin, paper like sheets. Piccolo took a seat in the plastic padded chair opposite.

"This is the first time I've spoken to you in over six months. Do remember that?"

Goku frowned at the odd statement. He laughed nervously, raking a tanned hand through dark hair damp with perspiration. It felt cold where it had started to settle on his forehead.

"That's nonsense Piccolo, I was just speaking to you. Where are we?"

He wondered then if they had been captured. Drugged, even.

"We're at Capsule Corp medilabs. You've been here a while now. Do you remember anything?"

Agitation was building, he looked around and saw that they were alone. _What are you playing at Piccolo? Is this like when you pretended to be evil to save Gohan from Garlick Jr?_

"Why are you doing this? What happened? Is Gohan okay?"

Piccolo seemed to frown at that and he leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands hanging forward. The badge on his shirt read "Dr Daimao". Goku thought it was a laughable detail. _Who would believe that? I'm pretty sure Doctors have to go to school._

"Do you know who I am?"

Goku stared, waiting for the punchline of this absolutely humorless joke. It didn't come. In fact, his skin started to tingle at the cold that was flooding him. Piccolo wasn't joking, he looked deadly serious and Goku was frantically trying to think his way through this riddle. He swallowed, so audibly he thought even the other man must have heard it. He glanced away, speaking to the Namek was clearly not helping. Looking down, he could see he was wearing the same colours he was used to, but a different material and design. He felt a little bit lighter too, more lithe, less strong. His mind was whirring now and his voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

"What's going on Piccolo?"

The Namek's dark eyes were hooded in subtle sympathy. If he didn't know the man so well, he wouldn't have even noticed it. He wished he hadn't.

"You've been here for six years Son, and you've been catatonic for almost all of that time"

He blanched, went to stand up and cursed when he had to sit back down, his legs just wouldn't support him. Piccolo had his hands clasped together over his knees as he sat awkwardly in the small chair. High cheekbones made the Namek look a little big gaunt in the artificial light. He seemed to be waiting patiently for the Saiyan's reaction, ever so unlike Piccolo. _Well i'd hate to disappoint._

"Obviously, I don't believe you"

This didn't seem to be news to the other man and he gave a wry smile.

"Obviously. Don't worry, you'll start to remember"

_Don't worry? _He glanced around, as if the room would disappear if he looked hard enough at it. The grey walls and white tiled floor just remained, boring and steady and unfamiliar. Goku looked up as a woman walked in the room, her white coat was buttoned neatly and hair was pinned up in a careful bun. He was incredulous as his eyes went wide.

"Chi-chi?"

She spared him a kind glance but muttered something under her breath, before addressing Piccolo.

"Doctor, it's time for his next injection"

The Namek nodded and stood, towering over Goku as he sat, feeling frail on the bed. He took the prepared needle from her. Goku's brows furrowed then and he shifted uncomfortably, he hated needles. A step forward was all it took for the Saiyan to put both hands up and object anxiously.

"No. I'm not having any injections"

"It's for your own good"

_Bullshit._

Chi-chi was still standing in the room, hands held together behind her back. Her big brown eyes were staring into him and he could see the recognition there. She was the only piece of realism he'd had since he arrived. Piccolo put the needle behind his back, smoothly as if he'd done it many times before. It was uncharacteristically considerate and Goku was immediately suspicious.

"You've been...having delusions in your catatonic state. Structured, detailed delusions that your mind prefers to reality. You've been living, essentially, in a dream"

Goku was no longer paying much attention. He was growing tired of this game and worse, he was becoming more and more worried that this wasn't a game. Piccolo had probably not said as many words to him in the whole time they'd known each other. None of this made sense but as Chi-chi watched him stoically, he wondered for a concerning moment if the other man thought this was real. _No. _Piccolo moved quick and the needle was in him before he could muster the strength to put up a fight.

His eyes shot open as he came crashing out of deep sleep and he accidentally knocked something over in the dark. A light came on instantly and Chi-chi's big eyes were back again, but this time, she was wearing Chinese dress and she was concerned. He blinked a couple of times and realised, to his absolute relief, that he was at home. In the living room, and half on and half off the sofa with several blankets smothering him. Gohan came padding in after his wife, rubbing sleepily at his eyes.

"Dad! You're awake!"

Piccolo stood, leaning against the doorway, sans turban and cape. He was certain Chi-chi wouldn't like him being in the house. He felt deja-vu as he asked the same question he had just asked a different Piccolo.

"What's going on?"

"You just dropped out of the sky, I almost didn't catch you. We haven't been able to wake you since..."

Goku frowned and just shook his head. The relief was pretty incredible, and it was so good in fact that he almost didn't notice the feeling of falseness. That quiet hint that something wasn't right, like the colours being off. He looked at his family, Gohan in particular, and they all checked out. Chi-chi was complaining now about the inconvenience of Piccolo which was pretty standard. Her dress was one that he remembered, red with black flowers, and he turned to look at Gohan who was wiping one eye roughly. His pyjamas had little spaceships on and they always made him smile. Fading aromas of the herbs used at dinner and a fire now long dead, probably to fire up the outdoor tub, sat in the air. He looked down at himself quickly and released a breath at the sight of his tattered orange gi.

He frowned and looked down at his gi again. It was the right colour, but it wasn't right. The material was all orange, sleeves and all. When he looked up, it was dark again. This time however, he could smell that sickly chemical smell and his heart dropped into his stomach. _No. This isn't happening. _He started saying it out loud and he moved his arms, but they were locked in tight by his sides.

"No! This isn't real!"

He thrashed and ground his teeth together, spittle flying and landing back on his own face. The bed was rocking on its base and he finally felt a little of the strength he knew he had. The restraints weren't as soft as he was sure they looked but he ignored the pain as he pulled against them, hard. The door flew open and Piccolo was upon him. Goku, out of options, tried to bite him as he came near and to his satisfaction, the Namek did move back in irritation. The violet blood tasted metallic, but different to his own. The light coming through the door wasn't overly enlightening but it was enough, enough to see the weariness on the other man's face.

"Stop it! I don't want to sedate you again!"

Goku spat at him and he saw Piccolo's fangs gleaming in the light. The kind doctor routine had finally worn off then.

"Then don't! Let me go!"

"Calm down." Piccolo's voice lowered then, a hint of menace in it. _That's it, welcome back._

"No! You've imprisoned me, drugged me and lied to me" he caught himself before too much emotion could leak into his voice. "Why are you doing this?"

Piccolo looked so tall as he lay there, hair plastered to his own forehead with sweat. Antennae twitched as Piccolo said words he knew for a fact Piccolo would never say.

"I'm sorry"

The next morning had come slowly, as Goku had laid awake all night, drugs swimming through his system. The window high up on the wall and it's bars taunted him. The restraints had been tightened by the person he now knew as 'Pretend Piccolo' and they dug into his biceps, wrists and thighs. His skin felt weak, even, and he knew it wasn't healing like it ought to. The sun had risen and he wondered if this was even Earth. Maybe this sun was just some other bright star, known by some other name. Sleeping had been a lost cause, either because of the drugs or the stress, he didn't know which. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance outside.

The door finally opened and whoever had entered remained at the doorway. Goku was staring at the ceiling, he didn't turn to address his visitor. He was done with this situation.

Chi-chi stood at the entrance, taking a moment to monitor his mood before approaching. She could see from where she stood where his struggling had started to bruise the man's tanned skin. Carefully, she walked over and stood next to the bed head. She smiled sweetly.

"How are we this morning?"

Goku dragged his eyes in her direction and she noted they were terribly bloodshot, and his cheeks were horribly flushed. He remained silent, not knowing how to respond. The needle came, a sharp scratch, she wrote a few things down on her clipboard and left. It was the quietest Chi-chi had ever been, and he thought it ironic that he was missing the loud, screaming wife he had left at home. The woman he loved. His musings were cut short when Piccolo walked in, still dressed in black trousers, black shirt and white coat. His broad shoulders made the coat hang off him. The voice was typically sour.

"I hope you're feeling better" he continued talking whilst he unstrapped the Saiyan.

Goku sat up, rubbing the bruises and feeling the indentations there. His limbs felt unbearably heavy and he cursed internally when he looked up at the window. He thought miserably, _I'm probably too big for it anyway. _Piccolo seemed to follow his line of sight.

"You've tried before, and you're probably thinking that you're too big for it. You are"

Something about that felt familiar to him, like he had felt the metal bars before, he had fallen from it and as he looked at the Namek, he felt like maybe it was true. Maybe he's not lying. _I could have been a prisoner here for a while. _The thought felt weak. Why? Why would Piccolo go to all that trouble, fighting Raditz, going to Namek, befriending him. The androids. It didn't make sense. And Chi-chi masquerading as his wife?

_No. The line of shit he fed you about being in a...what was it? Catatonic state is actually more believable than that._

"Tell me then...if I have spent most of the time out of it, why am I awake now?"

Piccolo sat carefully in the chair, paisley pink plastic squashing as he sat down.

"Well, it could be that your delusion loses its cohesion or sometimes our treatments work, i'm not always sure. One thing I do know is the key to staying awake lies in the deconstruction of that delusion"

That was a lot of big words for the monosyllabic man he knew. _Who knew Piccolo could be such a wordy bastard? Well, apart from that time he told the Saiyans about the dragon balls. _Goku felt exposed as he sat there, in what he could only surmise were pyjamas, as he was scrutinised. He humoured the Namek.

"Meaning?"

"It means you need to let go"

"And what if this" he gestured in the air "is the delusion?"

Piccolo shifted and crossed one leg over the other, looking like he was folded up.

"Okay, say it is. So really, you're a superhero, the strongest man on the planet. Fighting with other superheroes to save the Earth from the constant threat of destruction"

Goku did not like the way this was going. Even he didn't think it sounded particularly plausible, and he had been living it.

"Or, you're a normal man, who six years ago experienced trauma so severe your mind couldn't cope, so it conjured up a delusion where life was an adventure. And suddenly everyone loves you, and you always win"

If Goku's scowl could be any deeper it would be internal. He rubbed his temples as a headache brewed, drug induced, he wondered.

"A normal man...do you mean human? I'm not a Saiyan?"

"There are a lot of aliens here" he paused, before continuing. "There are people that are worried about you"

This made his ears perk up and Piccolo smirked, it made him want to smile too and he violently held it back. Through the intense distrust though, he still felt that Piccolo was his friend.

"And Chi-chi?"

The Namek raised a jade brow at that before realisation seemed to dawn on his face.

"Oh, no, you're not married and...you don't have a son"

That felt like a bullet of unreality that Goku didn't fancy right now. He could see Gohan so easily, his big chocolate brown eyes as he looked up from his arms. It simply wasn't possible that he didn't exist. He couldn't exist if Gohan didn't. Piccolo seemed to see this and tried to explain away the sudden unhappiness.

"A lot of the people in your delusion are people you've met here, and some are just your imagination"

"No, Gohan is real"

This seemed to alarm Piccolo and he shifted forward in his seat.

"No, Goku-" but his words were cut off as Goku fell backwards, unconscious. Dark, stormy eyes stared after him as his vision faded. The thought swam in his mind. _Gohan is real. _He knew, in advance this time, that he would open his eyes and be back in his reality. And he was. This time though, Bulma was hovering at his bedside and when she noticed his open eyes she shouted for Piccolo, Chi-chi and the others. He looked around quickly, white walls and the sound of her parents talking outside in the garden made him feel at ease. He realised then, with some urgency, that he needed to stay here. This was his reality. He frowned as a distant memory of another family tugged faintly at his heart and he made every effort to crush the unpleasant sensation. How unwelcome.

Chi-chi was at his bedside in an instant, her small hands grasping both his big ones. Her big eyes were welling up in relief. Piccolo followed her into the room, but kept his distance. The words_ temporary allies _came to mind.

"It's okay Chi" he smiled that famous Son smile, but she didn't return it.

"You've been asleep for days Goku! How is that okay!"

Goku blinked at that, it sounded about right. Only, dreams never really lasted as long as they felt, that's part of what made them feel so unreal when you woke up. He looked over at the Namekian, who was just standing there with arms crossed, fidgeting. It seemed to Goku that this Piccolo had something to say, but for some reason wasn't saying it. He looked at his wife, squeezing her hands.

"Can you give me a minute with Piccolo?"

She scowled so severely Goku thought her brows might merge but she stood and spared the Namek a sour look as she left the room. The door closed and for a minute there was silence. Piccolo's voice eventually started to rumble away.

"There's...something wrong"

Goku knew his strength wasn't raw intelligence, but even he had worked that out. His laugh was nervous.

"Yeah, I figured i'm sick or something"

Piccolo seemed to frown even further.

"It's a little more complicated than that"

Goku noticed something shiny sticking out of his gi collar. He shifted but couldn't get a closer look. Piccolo uncrossed his arms then and he saw it, sitting there looking as real as ever, was that silver ballpoint pen. Goku felt his stomach clench and even though he hadn't eaten in so long, he wanted to vomit. He looked up at Piccolo with serious, accusing eyes.

"You're not real"

Piccolo looked away, confirming it.

"You're...my imagination"

If this wasn't real, then..._No._

Piccolo was shouting as he fell back onto the bed, the world once again going dark. A moment or two passed and he could already tell that he wasn't at home any more. The smell of anaesthetic, nurses talking in the hall, other patients shouting. No, his mind corrected, he _was_ home. This _was_ his reality. He stared up at the ceiling with its mismatching tiles and squeezed his eyes shut as tears started to fall.

The days went by, and slowly, painfully, he started to remember. The most startling memory had been recalling his parents. _Parents. _An actual mother and father, normal people who lived in a normal house and he, for all accounts, was a normal child. And he was loved. The memory had hit him harder than Frieza had and Piccolo had given him an extra sedative that day. He remembered Chi-chi, he liked her, had fawned after her for six years apparently. For what it was worth, he thought that she liked him too. The floor of his room was hard but he didn't mind it much as he sat with legs crossed, orange fabric trousers and shirt contrasting horribly with the pale tiles. Piccolo opened the door and grunted a greeting as he walked over to the plastic chair with its pink paisley seat cushion. Goku was beginning to hate the sight of it.

The Namek's face and neck were still mottled with bruises and healing cuts from Goku's attack the night before. He winced when he thought of it. Piccolo had leaned in to give Goku his sedative injection and he had kicked the Namek's legs from under him. He had then proceeded to beat him, hard, punching over and over again until two other members of staff came and pulled him away. For some reason, the other man hadn't really fought back.

Piccolo moved the chair so it was facing the Saiyan and sat down, awkwardly. Goku thought it odd that he couldn't seem to sit down in it naturally. Shaking his head, he pushed away thoughts of fakery. He was better off just believing it. He did notice that the Namek seemed to be wearing the same dark trousers and shirt.

"Don't you own any other clothes?"

Piccolo raised a brow and looked down at himself. He smoothed a hand down his chest as if to reassure himself before speaking.

"It's been a week. I was wondering how you feel today"

Goku looked up, and dark, haunted eyes stared straight through him. Piccolo actually seemed to be bothered by it enough to look away.

"Well, I've lowered your dose of sedatives. That should help with the fatigue"

_And the aggression_, that was left unsaid. The Saiyan sighed, he knew somewhere deep down that the Namek was trying to help, as bizarre as it felt. _I think I preferred you when you were trying to kill me. _He watched as Piccolo wrote on his notepad with elegant fingers wrapped around the silver pen. This Piccolo seemed so gentle really, he had a softness to him that was unfamiliar to Goku. He had punched, scratched and bitten the Namek and Piccolo hadn't so much as slapped him back. He felt his heart clench at it. He didn't know if it was because he was trapped in a mental health ward with almost no one else to interact with, or it was because he felt like he really did have a friend. He was sure the taller man didn't think of him as such, more as someone he cared about and wanted to help maybe. One among many other patients, he supposed. He wondered about the others but interaction was strictly off limits, in case of a set back apparently. Their screaming and yelling were the only signs of their existence.

"Have you slept?"

Goku gave him another painful glance. Piccolo made another note, sighing a little as he did.

"Do you feel like talking?"

He felt bad, again. Piccolo was trying and here he was, sat on the floor sulking in his all day pyjamas. The Namek seemed to notice and commented.

"It's alright. You're in mourning"

Goku looked up at that, quizzical.

"It's like, the death of your other life. It will take a while to get over it"

He was amazed daily by Piccolo's knowledge and wise words. He still couldn't think of him as a Psychiatrist, images of the surly Namek fighting with him on Namek were still so vivid. He was right though, he was mourning, he was mourning the loss of his wife and son. His heart still hurt when he thought of Krillin and Bulma and all their adventures together. It was like waking up to find you were dead and you got to go to your own funeral.

Piccolo retrieved the book he had been holding under the clipboard and to Goku's immense amusement, placed a pair of glasses on his upturned nose. He must have laughed because Piccolo looked down at him in surprise. He opened the book and started to read. Goku's favourite, the one that Chi-chi had bought him the hard cover copy of, or so he had thought before his world came crumbling down. He barely read, and didn't know how to before she taught him so he could read to Gohan. Really, it had been Gohan's favourite. He looked at the title fondly before the sadness rose to the surface. _Gohan isn't real._

"Alice's adventures in Wonderland"

Piccolo's deep voice lulled him and he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Piccolo's rendition was so surreal to listen to, and he seemed shaky at some points, like he wasn't used to reading out loud.

"Curiouser and curiouser!" Cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); "now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!"

The irony was not lost on Goku.

Piccolo read for a while, but eventually he closed the book. His voice had grown hoarse with talking not being his strongest suit. Goku opened his eyes then and finally Piccolo thought they could talk. The book always seemed to work, it was the bridge that connected this world and the one he had spent six years in. The link was so important.

"Do you feel like being here is more real today?

Goku stood up, groaning as he did, and moved to sit on the bed, so that he was closer to the Doctor's height and could look him in the eye.

"Why do you keep asking?"

They were less than a metre apart and from here, he could see the red in Piccolo's eyes, deep though it was. There was so much emotion in them, he hadn't ever seen it before. _Maybe I never looked._

"Because, it needs to feel real. Here, or there, wherever_ feels_ real is where you will stay"

Goku's voice sounded so much lighter than Piccolo's brooding tones.

"What does it matter? This is real, they...that isn't"

Piccolo shook his head and the Saiyan had a peculiar look on his face. He didn't understand what kind of annoying reverse psychology this was. He peeked down at the notepad whilst the Namek answered, but only managed to catch a few words before it was harshly moved out of his line of sight. He looked up into irritated pupils.

"It's what is real to you that matters. It has to be your choice Goku"

The words he had read were all he was thinking of. Written in handwriting that he was sure wasn't the Namek's:

'_can't influence-'_

'_Subtle hints, don't get c-'_

Now that didn't make any sense. Piccolo was giving him a searching glance but he just smiled goofily and wiped any suspicion from his face. The Namek seemed to buy it. He moved a hand through his spiky, unkempt hair for emphasis. An hour later, and after several stop start attempts at conversation, Piccolo left. Goku was looking forward to dinner, bland as it was, as Chi-chi usually took her break and joined him for a cup of tea whilst he ate. He perked up as the door opened and a polite young man handed him his tray of food, and a second and third. At least they knew how to feed a Saiyan.

Chi-chi popped her head in, wide brown eyes smiling at him. She had been so cautious at first, saying that he always took a few days to come around when he woke up. He had hit her, apparently, and even though he didn't remember, it made him fight back the urge to vomit. Her white coat was unbuttoned to reveal a black shirt and he realised that it must be the uniform here. Her black trousers were fitted and he thought, becoming, in their 'i'm a professional' sort of way. Truth be told, he thought she was beautiful, but it was the way she held herself, the strength and the softness, that he loved. _So I'm in love with her, I'm in love with a Doctor I see occasionally when I wake up every year or so. That's fine._

She sat down on the pink chair and he was beginning to think it must be the staff seat, because he had never sat in it. Small hands cupped the polystyrene cup as hot steam fluffed above the rim. He was readily swallowing all the food, chewing was a time wasting skill he just didn't have. Chi-chi liked to talk to him like this, he was always at his peak of happiness when eating.

"So, how's my hero doing today?"

He smiled at that, sad that it wasn't true, but liking it anyway.

"Fine, I suppose. Just takes some getting used to ya know?"

Painted lips stretched in a smile and she nodded. Hair fell from her up do as she did.

"Oh I know, and sometimes, you think you're there and then…"

She wafted her hand as if to say _and then it all goes to hell. _He thought that she was totally right. He nodded enthusiastically and pointed a plastic fork at her to punctuate his agreement. Her laughter made his heart swell. He felt bad sometimes, about how he had spent so much time away from home fighting and now he wondered if this was his chance to make up for it. He then dismissed the thought, trainee doctors definitely didn't date patients. Even he who knew nothing, knew that.

"How is your day going?" He pointed his fork again.

"Ha! I've been here for twelve hours already but still the jolly green giant is barking orders"

_That sounds like the Piccolo I know. _And as soon as he thought it, it seemed odd. If this Piccolo was that way out, he'd be yelling at him too. He pushed the thought away, he felt that he didn't understand anything anymore. She finished her tea and stood, offering him a kind smile before bidding him good night. It was only seven o'clock, but patients were early to bed and early up in the house of Piccolo. He knew he would see the Namekian again before the night was over though, now that man seemed to work all day and all night. He had asked Chi-chi about it and she just shrugged and said 'Nameks don't sleep much' before forcing pills into his mouth.

He went to his little sink and splashed some water on his face. He wasn't deemed much of a danger to himself at this point, and was allowed a small en suite to his room. It was simple, but he was grateful for it, all except the mirror which was encased in some kind of clear 'don't hurt yourself' plastic.

The man looking back at him was a ghost. Not the muscular hero he was, no, moderate size, dark circles under his eyes and unruly dark hair spiking everywhere. The orange outfit made him look paler than he really was. He sighed as he looked at his arms, being a Saiyan here didn't mean you were exceptionally strong, just maybe slightly stronger than a strong human. No tail, no Oozaru, no Chi. An insatiable appetite and a good sense of smell,_ fantastic._

Piccolo had entered the room with a knock, even though the door was open. It was always open. He wasn't a prisoner in the room as such, but the hallway led to two locked doors on either side of the corridor, so he didn't venture out much. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to escape twice already. Nameks apparently still had a lot of their strength and Goku couldn't help but feel a bit petulant about it.

"Sight for sore eyes?"

Piccolo was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He was in one of his better moods, Goku noticed. He also noted that the clipboard was being held tighter to his chest than a newborn baby.

"You could say that"

"Well, you're doing fine, so don't be hard on yourself"

Goku smirked and patted Piccolo on the upper arm as he went by, he felt the Namek stiffen. Of course, this might be the kind, 'i'm helping people' version of Piccolo but he was still as antisocial as ever. Instead of fighting all day, every day, he just worked all day, every day, instead.

"I'll try but no promises." He yawned and cast the Namek a weary glance.

Piccolo flashed a very brief, barely there smile, fangs slipping from underneath his upper lip. Goku had always thought he looked like one of the little dragons that Gohan had liked so much, not that he would ever mention it to the surly creature. Piccolo went to the door, offering him a nod goodnight before closing it behind him. Goku heard something then, and he immediately went to the door and pressed his ear to it like a child. Cursing, he scooped his hair out of the way. He could only hear the odd word, but it was definitely Chi-chi talking to Piccolo.

"We don't have much time"

"I know that." Goku could hear Piccolo snarling.

He could almost see the worry in Chi-chi's features.

"We're losing him"

Piccolo spoke softly this time.

"I know"

**Until next time.**

**W.**


	2. Part Two

**Through the Looking Glass**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z or any of its characters, or anything really.

Not strictly AU, but AU elements

Warning: Swearing & mentions of life in a mental health facility.

**Part Two **

Piccolo stood outside the door to Goku's room and clenched a jade hand around the clipboard that he had carried around like a lifeline. The painted grey wood of the door was so dull as it looked back at him, he had to wonder just what the muse was for the decor in this place. Steady breathing met his keen ears as he waited, not really wanting to open the door. He shifted slightly, the black shirt did feel tight around his frame but at least it wasn't as strangely humiliating as the white coat that he was forced to wear along with it. He had never felt so astoundingly and unwillingly human. The Saiyan was sleeping still, which was odd in itself but he tried not to think too much about it. This was all probably taking its toll.

Like it was on them all. His empathy levels weren't anything to be proud of, but as he looked at Chi-chi who stood at his side, he could see that it was wearing her down too. Her usual, clear complexion was marred with pink where he knew tears had been falling, probably not long ago. His chest tugged a little and he felt like scoffing at himself. Her deep brown eyes gave him a look that said 'don't ask'. He wasn't going to.

The door opened swiftly enough, nothing here was new or old, and it all worked perfectly. The pale tiles gave way to the bed in which Goku slept, his orange outfit exposed where the pallid covers had slipped loose. It was only eight o'clock in the morning. Not that Piccolo had any idea how much time had really passed since this all began, it felt like time didn't really have a place here. It was like no time and the end of time all the same. Chi-chi followed his steps lightly, her flat black shoes touching upon the tiles like a ballerina in the opening sequence. He walked over to Goku and tapped him on the shoulder.

The Saiyan opened bleary dark eyes and looked up, confusion giving way to a gentle smile as he recognised the Doctor and his trainee. Even though his tone was pleasant, Piccolo picked up a wariness about him.

"Did I sleep in?"

Chi-chi flickered her eyes towards Piccolo before adopting a friendly smile.

"No, we just have a busy day and wanted to make an early start"

Goku opened his mouth and the Namek felt a conversation coming on. Piccolo lost patience so quickly that Chi-chi had berated him for over an hour afterwards. He whipped a thick needle from the black fabric of his trousers and stuck it in the side of the Saiyan's neck. Goku's hand went to his throat and the look he gave Piccolo was one of such deep betrayal that the Namek almost regretted it. He fell back with his mouth open, undignified and drooling. Chi-chi's expression was one of rage.

"What did you do that for!"

"We don't have time"

She shoved a small finger in his stomach, since she couldn't comfortably reach his chest, and delivered her very best parental tone.

"How is he going to trust us now!"

He rolled dark ruby eyes and shoved her out of the way. As her thigh hit the metal frame of the bed and she fell onto it, a part of him checked that she was okay while the other part of him hoped it would bruise. This whole situation was making him peculiar.

"It won't matter for much longer, the virus is almost at its peak"

Her wide eyes lowered as she registered the comment and with one hand clasped tight against her hurt thigh, she went quiet. It didn't last long, as Piccolo knew it wouldn't.

"We won't be able to do much whilst he's unconscious"

The Namek crossed his arms. It had occurred that he hadn't actually given this idea much thought. In fact, he hadn't really thought much past this precise moment. The tendons in his face felt like they were being stretched across a canyon. The uneasiness in his eyes must have told enough because Chi-chi's eyes narrowed.

"Right, give me the book"

Emerald brows drew in and he looked at her like the idiot he was convinced she was.

"What book?"

She rolled her eyes and quickly reached into his pocket. The feel of her fingers digging around near his hip was enough to make him rear back in a combination of horror and indignation. She ignored him, much like she would a tantruming Gohan. Pulling the book out, she could see that the cover was rolling back at the edges and she smiled fondly at the memories it brought. Chi-chi opened the pages of Alice's adventures in Wonderland to where the bookmark fell out, and looked down at the papery object as it floated to the floor. Her features went soft. It was a photo of Gohan, looking up with wide, innocent eyes at a surly Piccolo. She had taken it just two months before. Chi-chi glanced at the Namek, and whatever comment she thought of making, she swallowed it. Some things just didn't need to be said.

Her voice was smooth and gentle, much like when she read to her son, as she continued the story. Piccolo wasn't sure that this was going to achieve, but maybe it would help. At this point, he was open to suggestions. Drugging Goku had been only an effort to buy time. When he woke, time would cascade and soon their glass of sand would be bottom heavy. He crossed his arms tightly as he thought through every strategy his mind could conjur. Nothing stunning came to mind. _How totally shit._

Chi-chi had been reading, in between blasting the Namek for his foolhardy plan in the first place, but he didn't care much. They had decided to just tell him the truth. Any more coercion and secrecy was likely to make things worse, if that was even possible. He cast a glance at the pink padded chair Chi-chi was seated in and he wondered again about the decor. Perhaps a part of him might be house proud, if he had a house that is, or was weak enough to require one. Either way he could see that the chair's size was clearly built for a human, as she sat in it comfortably and dare he say it, daintily. Goku stirred slightly as the words rolled off her lips.

"Where should I go? That depends on where you want to end up"

Dark eyes regarded them both more coolly than Piccolo had thought him capable. He guessed that perhaps the Saiyan had reached his personal limit of patience and understanding. Maybe there were just too many impossible things to believe here. Goku laid there, sheets wrapped around him but still the orange fabric glared from underneath in contrast. Chi-chi closed the book slowly, sure to place the photo securely as its bookmark. The Saiyan's voice was lacking in its usual friendliness and it reminded Piccolo of when he had to tie the man up in the beginning. In fact, he felt like Frieza, when Goku had decided to kill him.

"What is going on?"

Piccolo kept his arms firmly crossed as he spoke. The deep baritone made the Saiyan sit up in defiance against it.

"This isn't real"

Goku felt the sickly regurgitation of deja vu and grimaced.

"You are joking"

The light of the day was shining in through the small window but this time, the internal electric lighting had been left off. It cast jade skin in a pale light, except where it caught too white fangs. He only ever saw the sharp canines when Piccolo was angry or unsure.

"No, this" he waved a forest green hand around the room "isn't real"

Goku swung his legs over the side of the bed in anger and Chi-chi clamped her hand around the book.

"You've spent the last however many months convincing me that this is real!"

An emotion that might have been remorse crossed dark ruby eyes before they were steel once again.

"Actually, that...wasn't" Piccolo seemed to struggle at this point but Goku waited "it was me, sometimes, but only briefly. You had to believe we were a part of this...delusion"

Goku leaned back for a moment before turning to Chi-chi, he touched her chin gently and made her face him.

"What is he talking about?"

Those big chestnut eyes, the ones he fell in love with, were welling up now.

"This is just a part of your imagination, we came here to help you but...we can't interfere. Your subconscious had to believe we were a part of this reality that_ you_ created, or something like that"

His grip tightened and she tried to pull away. He didn't notice.

"You mean...you are my wife? And Gohan...I really do have a son?"

She nodded against his grip, with a strength beyond that of an ordinary human. Piccolo interrupted their short lived, bizarre reunion.

"Not for long, this delusion is becoming your reality, and telling you this might make it worse, but we can't wait any longer, you're-"

The words died on his tongue, or rather, in Goku's ears. The noise instead turned into a loud and piercing scream as the room faded into darkness. It felt like before, just before he woke up at Capsule corp, only now he was waking up back in this room, again. _No, not again._

It took a moment for him to realise that it was his own screaming that he could hear.

"Goku! Stop! It's alright!"

Piccolo's hands gripped his forearms, talons digging in. Those dark red eyes looked at him but this time, there was no friend of old in them. He could see the reflection in their depths, of his own rabid wide pupils as he tried to catch his breath.

"What?"

Piccolo loosened his grip, exhaling a breath which he didn't remember holding.

"It was just a nightmare"

Goku frowned. _A nightmare?_

His breath was coming in short, raspy gasps and he grabbed Piccolo's hands in his own. The odd sensation made the Namek try to pull away but he held tight.

"Where's Chi-chi?"

"Goku let go"

"Answer me!"

The volume of the Saiyan's voice must have felt like a steel drum, and he saw the Namek blink against the onslaught.

"She's at home, probably. It's four o'clock in the morning"

He narrowed his eyes at the taller man.

"Then why are you here?"

Piccolo snatched his hands away, exposing some of the hostility he had kept hidden away so tight.

"Covering the night shift,_ again_"

Goku couldn't help it then, his eyes started to well and he began to mumble something about a wife and a son. Piccolo sighed. He was so tired, so very exhausted that he felt like lying down next to the crazy Saiyan.

"It's alright. I'll stay, until you fall back to sleep"

He sat down in that Goddamn chair. Only, now the sound of his weight leaning into the cracked plastic made Goku's brain explode.

"No, that wasn't the nightmare. This is"

Piccolo's eyes were unreadable in the gentle light, the open door casting the corridor's electric gaze over them.

"Is it?"

The Namek said nothing, and Goku had the distinct feeling that it was deliberate. The silence went on.

"I asked a question"

He heard a shift as the Namek crossed his legs.

"What do you think?"

The question seemed ordinary enough, but it wasn't. There was an underlying sneer in its tone, not the gentle deep tones of a tortured Doctor, but the impatient tones of Piccolo. A Piccolo that looked so incredibly tired, and unsure. A Piccolo that was trying to help him, but had no idea how. If Goku noticed, he didn't show it.

Piccolo frowned. Looking at Goku like this was not as pleasing as he had imagined years ago, and he felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach as he sat there. This was going horribly wrong. They had been going in so many circles he thought that maybe they had kind of forgotten what the point was. Chi-chi wasn't here, she had passed out from exhaustion and he had detached her mind from this peculiar version of hell. She was probably sleeping, with the worried eyes of the Z senshi watching over her. If he tried, he could feel them even now. He couldn't remember though, if he had been sitting or standing when he had fallen this deep into Goku's mind. He didn't remember that he was in fact lying down next to Goku back in their reality, and the watchful eyes were casting their concerned gaze over the three of them.

Goku remained seated on his narrow mattress, seeming in a daze over what to think or believe. Sometimes nightmares were convincing, that was the problem here, and Piccolo knew it better than most. His Sire had left him with enough bad memories for a lifetime of night terrors. The other problem, as it was so delicately explained to him by an anxious Bulma, was that he couldn't just be rescued. Couldn't just be told to get a grip and stop being so ridiculous. His mind was so infected, and the virus had manifested itself as this delusion, or something to that effect, he hadn't really understood. It was artificial, and this was some kind of tactic to keep the Saiyan in a weak state, until the virus had grown strong enough to move on. The chair he was sitting on, even, was just an extension of those cells nestled deep in Goku's heart, that had spread to his brain. If the virus, or whatever it was, realised that he and Chi-chi were interlopers in this nightmarish play, it would consume anything left quickly, and move on. Probably to the nearest next host powerful enough to tempt it. Probably Gohan.

Maybe even it would infect himself. God knew he had enough misery for it to live on. He laughed internally. Maybe that had already happened, and this was actually his own hellish delusion. Piccolo's last attempt to leave had been unsuccessful and he was well aware that Chi-chi wouldn't be returning on her own psychic ability. It was just him and Goku now. The virus had started its shut down phase when they tried to tell Goku the truth, and slowly the walls and floor had started to dissipate. Goku blacked out and luckily missed Chi-chi's imminent collapse, when he woke, of course it was back to square one. Is this real, isn't it, what is? Piccolo had been through this particular phase so often now that he actually felt like a real psychiatrist.

Bulma had said that if the subtle tactics don't work, then ripping his sense of reality from under his feet might just do the trick. Or it might kill him. He was all for the sharp shock treatment but for some reason, the thought bothered him. These past months he had spent more time talking to the dim witted Saiyan than he had ever dared dread. He had heard stories of Gohan as a troublesome two year old, of how beautiful Chi-chi was on her wedding day, of the one time he tried to fix the plumbing by himself. He had felt the Saiyan's hands on his arms, wrist, shoulder and back. Light taps and gentle nudges, teasing remarks and boyish laughter. He had found it irritating and a hindrance at first, but as time passed, he found himself returning the conversation. After all, Goku would just continue anyway. Now he was looking at the haunted man as he sat there, unused muscles looking slim and wiry. Of course he knew that Goku would by lying in bed in the real world, built like a pure Saiyan, but here in his imagination, he was weak. Almost human.

It didn't take a trained professional to tell him that this was Goku's greatest fear. Being weak; not being the hero. Not being able to save the ones he loved. Hell, here he didn't even have the ones he so treasured. The delusion would be the manifestation of your fears, the ones that are so strong that they consume you. Piccolo had to admit, the creator of this virus was one intelligent fuck.

After a few more slow, unbearable seconds, Piccolo made a decision. He stood and walked over to where Goku was still sitting, defeated. _It's now or never, at least you won't die alone._

He sat down next to Goku, not really fitting and feeling awkward as he perched on the single mattress. He turned towards the other man, looking into ebony eyes straight.

"You're right. This isn't real, and the moment you realise that again, this illusion will start to crumble. We won't have long to get out, if we even can"

Goku looked incredulous and from this too close distance, he could see the small marks in Piccolo's skin from his short lifespan of fighting. Not scars as such, just evidence. Was that a trick too?

"What is this now? Roleplay?"

Piccolo lifted his hand and in it, he held a photo. In the low light Goku's eyes went wide and he grabbed it from the Namek. In it, his little son stood staring up at a purple gi clad Namek. And like that, the memory split his head in two. One hand on Chi-chi's as she quickly took the photo, the both of them laughing when Piccolo noticed and started shouting. He looked up from the photo and again, in those ruby depths, he saw his own reflection. He didn't have a word for what he saw, but he believed it. And Piccolo saw it too.

The Namek wasted no time, he grabbed Goku's wrist and dragged him ungracefully across the room and through the door. The corridor went in both directions and there was a security door at the end of either one. Piccolo's ears flickered as the buzz of the overhead light fizzled out, and smashed. Orderlies lined up at both security doors and Piccolo considered fighting them, but something told him that he didn't have the power here. He looked around, at anything that might help. The outside window in the corridor showed nothing but a blackness and he dismissed it. It felt empty. _No, there is a way out here._

The floor began to feel unsteady as it wavered and Goku trembled with it. Emerald hands went to either side of the Saiyan's face and he leaned down to the other man's height.

"Goku, there must be a way out. Think."

The other man's dark hair was damp against his head where sweat was streaming and Piccolo realised, rather belatedly, that this must be what Goku actually looked like. Scared, sweating and in some unreachable pain.

"I don't know"

Piccolo swore under his breath and dragged Goku back into the room, closing the door behind him. It wouldn't help much, since he could see patches of the wall were already just empty and black. His own breath was now sounding short and his throat scratched. He sneered, the feeling of fear was not welcome or helpful. He looked around, the bed sheets were dishevelled. A chest of drawers stood sparsely, and inside he knew there were just countless more orange drawstring pants and long sleeved shirts.

"There"

Goku's voice almost startled him. He hadn't really thought the Saiyan would be of much use, but he could have hugged him when he raised a hand to the small window near the ceiling. Piccolo looked at it with a raised brow. It made sense, Goku had been obsessed with it, but there was no way his larger Namekian frame would get through that pinhead hole in the wall. Goku grabbed him this time and he felt the clammy, cold hands dig in with a Saiyan strength he had forgotten the man possessed. Onyx eyes met his own and that famous smile returned.

"You'll fit"

Piccolo didn't believe him, but with little else to do other than wait for the encroaching blackness to take him as Goku's delusion cracked, he followed. He laced his hands together to give Goku a step up, and the Saiyan ripped the metal bars from the wall, taking brick with it. His strength was building and he was laughing. The tan of his hands now looked real again as he stood against the grey walls. One by one he ripped them off and behind them, that endless black had now reached under the door and into the room and was spreading. Piccolo looked back at it and immediately regretted it.

"Come on Goku!"

He might not make it, but he'd be damned if he went through all this unthinkable bullshit just for them both to die anyway. The final bar was pulled loose and the Saiyan punched a strong first through the glass. It shattered easily but behind the glass was not the far reaching darkness that this world seemed to be made of, but the bright lights of capsule corp. There, ahead of him, he could see himself and Piccolo lying on the bed. They were both hooked up to machinery and even the steady sound of two heartbeats reached his ears. It was so real. He reached through the hole and pulled himself through. He turned back and reached down to grab Piccolo's hand. Forest green fingers wrapped around his own.

Then he woke up. Heart rate monitors went wild and he ripped the oxygen mask from his face with a welcome strength. His right hand immediately went to Piccolo's chest to shake him awake.

"Piccolo"

The namek lay there, stock still with the oxygen mask on. Goku shook him again but didn't get a response. His onyx eyes looked up at the monitor when he realised that he could only hear one steady heartbeat. The other one was silence for a while and then a beep, and then nothing. An alarm started to ring and Bulma came flying into the room followed by a frantic Chi-chi. Gohan and Krillin. Gohan looked on in uncontained horror as his father shook Piccolo vigorously. Goku's eyes were welling in frustration and fear as he realised what was happening.

"Piccolo!"

Piccolo was still there. The darkness was now creeping at his toes and he looked back up at the window again, it felt like he had jumped a thousand times but without his Chi he couldn't reach. Climbing the wall with his talons had proved fruitless and the bed had already fallen into the black. Through the window, he could hear Goku shouting his name. As much as a few minutes ago he had been happy to die to save the other man, but now...he wasn't sure he would die. Maybe he would be trapped in this nightmarish ether, a place that Goku had created, but had now escaped. Or perhaps it was in his mind now. He couldn't let it. Not yet, not before he could save Gohan from the Androids. Not before he could see Gohan grow up. He looked down and still, he could hear the frantic calls of the Saiyan. His hands were growing purple, it was getting very cold here.

Chi-chi tried to calm her husband down but he continued, even in his weak state he felt strong enough to move the earth itself. He wasn't about to let Piccolo die. _No, there must be something. _If he was still trapped there, maybe he could beat the virus, maybe it didn't have a hold yet.

"Piccolo, listen to me. I don't know if you can hear me but...there must be a way out. Think"

Those same words Piccolo had spoken came floating back through the window and the Namek looked up. He smiled. The Saiyan might have been gullible enough to believe that but was he? Hardly.

_It had worked though._

That voice was not his own, neither did he recognise it, but he didn't have time to care because out of his periphery he could see a chair leg poking out from the darkness. He grabbed it, quickly, and pulled the piece of furniture from its place in the black. He shoved the chair against the wall. The pink plastic felt like hell beneath his foot but he pushed on, the window was ridiculously small but he knew, he could make himself fit. He grabbed both his shoulders and pulled them both in towards himself, dislocating them. The pain was blinding for a moment and he felt the chair move beneath him. His arms weren't particularly helpful now but if there was ever a reason he had long legs, he thought it might be for this. He stepped up onto the top of the chair's backrest and with a push, he fell through.

Goku shook Piccolo so hard that he had left bruises on the Namek's arms and shoulders. Gohan was crying and even Chi-chi was now biting back tears. She and Piccolo might not be friends forever, but she had seen a side of him that had been a surprise. She had a friend in him, somewhere deep down, when the need called for it, and she'd remember that. The Saiyan slowly stilled, realising now that Bulma had turned the heart rate monitor off. Krillin's hand landed on his bicep, his kind features pulled into sadness.

"I'm sorry Goku"

His eyes were stinging but he just let the sweat continue to drip. He wondered now which one had really been the nightmare. Was it worth it? He looked over at the still Namek, whose lips were now a faint lilac. But stopped short as he looked straight into open, alive dark red orbs. With a faint grumble, Piccolo coughed and breathed in. It felt like he had been strangled and left for dead deep in the snow to die. The look on the Saiyan's face was disbelief as he watched Bulma place the oxygen mask back over Piccolo's mouth in shock.

"You're alive"

Piccolo's response was weak and faint through the mask but it bit hard enough.

"No shit"

Things had calmed down later that day, Piccolo had left the comfort of the bed at the first successful attempt at standing. Chi-chi was sat at Goku's bedside, his hand in her own, and Piccolo had given her a barely perceptible nod on his departure. The Saiyan smiled at his friend's back, knowing full well that the word friend would be best not said out loud. He leaned back and drifted to sleep whilst Chi-chi read from his favourite book. Gohan was already asleep next to him on the bed underneath his heavy arm.

The room was dark when he awoke, but he could hear voices as he came into consciousness.

"_He's gone Chi-chi. That's it"_

Her voice was a higher pitch than normal but low in volume.

"_Don't say that, this wasn't like last time"_

Piccolo's tones were as quiet, but rumbled through him.

"_It's exactly like last time, just like every time"_

She seemed to hesitate, he wanted to look but he didn't dare open his eyes.

"_When do you think he'll wake up"_

The Namek sighed.

"_He might not"_

Goku's eyes opened wide at that and he wondered if they thought he had slept so long he might be sick again.

"Guys! Stop it! I'm fine"

His own words echoed around him in the empty room.

**Finish.**


End file.
